And he did
by RGoodfellow64
Summary: A shootout in an ally, Castle is hit. Something different from my usual.


And he did

by RGoodfellow64

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Disclaimer: Oh please, like I have a snowballs chance.

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He hated clichés. They were a sign of incomplete thinking. They were used by wannabe writers who couldn't come up with an original idea. Ultimately, to him clichés were nothing but a sign of bad writing.

He hated clichés, and he really hated them when they happened to him, and he especially hated the fact that it all happened so fast.

God, what a hoary old cliché and damn that it really did all happen so fast.

They'd finished canvassing the area outside the old theater. They'd completed their tasks and were on their way back to the cars when there were gunshots, and people were jumping out of doors.

That's another stupid cliché! Who jumps out of doors with a gun and starts shooting in real life? That only happens in the movies or TV. It never happens in reality, but that's exactly what did happen and he had only a split second to make the choice of jumping in front of Kate, to give her time to get her own gun out of its holster.

Just a split second to decide that her life was worth more to him than his own.

Just a split second to save her.

And he did.

As the bullet hit his vest, his chest felt like he'd been hit by a train. The pain was excruciating. Yet that was nothing compared to the other bullet that hit him outside the vest. The one that punctured his neck.

His actions gave Kate and the boys the time they needed to get out their guns and once again, using another damn cliché, it was over before they knew it and he was lying on the ground looking up at Kate.

He thought, 'Kate. I love you, Kate.' He knew then that he said it out loud, because she smiled that special smile that was just for him, even as her eyes teared up.

The pain was terrible and he really didn't understand much of what she was saying to him. It was almost as if her voice would fade away and then come back. He tried to concentrate on that phenomena rather than worry about the stupid clichés that suddenly seemed to have cropped up in his life.

He didn't know he'd closed his eyes until Kate was yelling at him to keep them open. To look at her. To keep his eyes on her. All the while telling him how much she loved him between each breath.

But it hurt so much, and he was becoming more tired by the second. He tried to tell her that he didn't plan on going anywhere, after all, he'd been shot and was lying on the ground, where could he go anyway? He tried, but he couldn't get out the words. Everything hurt.

It was becoming too much to hold his eyes open, and as he slowly closed them he thought he heard the faint sounds of sirens just before he heard Kate's wailing "NO!" and then it was quiet.

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Not only was it quiet, but he didn't hurt anymore. Not sure what was happening he slowly opened his eyes to find himself standing in his living room. "Really, Richard, the least you could do is keep your eyes open. The poor girl is beside herself with worry."

"Mother?" he asked.

"You need to open your eyes, Dad. Kate is very upset right now."

"Pumpkin?"

"Richard! Get your head out of the clouds and listen to us. You need to be there for Kate. She needs you Richard."

"That's true Dad, without you…"

He turned around and saw his mother and daughter standing a few feet away and as Alexis never finished he asked, "Without me, what?"

"She wouldn't be here Castle."

He turned around to see the owner of the new voice. "Lanie? What are you doing here?"

With an exasperated look she said, "What do you think I'm doing here Castle? I'm trying to get you to open your eyes!"

"But they _are_ open! Why is everyone telling me to open my eyes? I can see you all clearly!"

"She needs you Castle. She really can't live without you."

"Kate? Of course she can. She's the strongest woman I know."

"Oh she's strong Castle, but it comes at a price."

"A price?"

"Yeah Castle, she's strong, but so strong that she's brittle."

"That doesn't make sense Lanie."

"Like ice Dad, it's strong but it's also very brittle," Alexis said, suddenly standing beside Lanie.

"She had to freeze herself off from everyone dear," Martha added, now standing behind Alexis.

"Think about it Castle, is she the same person you met five years ago?"

With a puzzled look on his face he said, "No, she's not."

"That's right Castle, because of you she's different than she was. She's grown. She chose to live rather than hide away behind her walls."

"But Lanie, why wouldn't she be here?"

"You changed her dear," Martha said, now standing to his left. "You caused her to change from what she was to who she is. You, my son, are the single most important thing that has ever happened to her."

He turned to look at his mother and saw Lanie standing beside her. "I'm the most important thing in her life?"

"That's right Dad," Alexis said, standing by his right arm. "Even more important than her mother or her mother's death."

"I don't understand?

"She closed herself off Castle. When you met her, she had no one. She thought there might be a chance with Will but then he left her for a damn job!" Lanie said angrily.

"You were the one who melted the ice Dad, you didn't let her break."

"But…but even if she never met me she's had other relationships." He looked at Lanie and said, "What about Demming? What about Josh?"

"Without you in her life she never would have gone out with Demming, Castle, because if you weren't there he never would have asked her out."

"Why not?"

"Because she was all work, all steel, all ice. No one would have spent time with her, she'd put all her effort into the job."

"Why?"

"Because the job was all she had dear. Without you, there was no light in her world. She hid away in a darkness she created for herself."

"And Josh?"

"No Josh, Castle," Lanie said quietly. "She never met him because she was working all the time."

"But why wouldn't she be here?" he asked again.

Lanie was suddenly standing in front of him. "Everything else would be the same, Castle, except instead of Montgomery dying, it would have been Kate."

He sat back on the couch, feeling the weight of those words. Kate would be dead.

"So Dad, you really need to open your eyes."

"Pumpkin?"

Looking at her watch Lanie said, "Now Castle. You need to do it now."

"Dammit! They _are_ open!"

"Dad!"

"Sorry Pumpkin, but they're open, I can see everything clearly."

He heard Kate's voice. "Rick. Rick, open your eyes."

"Kate?"

"I gotta go now Castle." Rick looked up and saw that Lanie was now by the door of his office, looking at her watch. "My time's almost up."

"Lanie, where's Kate?"

She was suddenly standing by his side and said, "Right in front of you, Castle. Just open your eyes, she needs you so much." Then just as suddenly, she was gone.

"Lanie?"

"You need to open your eyes Richard. Kate needs you."

"But…"

Kate's voice seemed to come from all around him. "Rick, please…please open your eyes."

"Kate? Are you crying? Where are you?"

"Come on kiddo," Martha said, "just open them."

"But they _are_ open Mother! Can't you see?"

Suddenly Alexis was in front of him, her eyes pleading, "Dad please, listen to Kate."

"Rick…oh Rick." Her voice sounded next to his right ear but he couldn't see her anywhere. She sounded so sad. "Kate?" he called, looking all around. "Where are you?"

"She's right in front of you Richard."

"Please Mother, I see you and Alexis. There's no one else in the room." As he started walking toward his office Alexis said, "She's not there Dad."

"I hear her Pumpkin, she has to be there."

"Open your eyes dear."

"Mother will you stop saying that! They _are_ open!"

"Oh dear God, please. Please Rick, open your eyes."

"Kate? Kate, where are you?" he yelled, looking wildly around the apartment.

"She's right in front of you Dad, just open your eyes."

"Alexis! Please stop saying that!" He turned to speak to Martha and she wasn't there. Looking around he didn't see her at all and asked Alexis, "Where's your grandmother?"

He heard Kate crying and felt drops on his face. He put his hand to his cheek and was surprised to see the moisture there. "What? I'm not crying."

"Kate's so sad, Dad."

Kate was still sobbing; he heard her and wanted to stop her tears but didn't know where she was. Then her voice, sounding so weak and defeated said, "Rick, please don't leave me. I can't…how can I…oh please Rick, I love you so much."

Rick felt more moisture on his face and called out, "Kate! Please…where are you?" He turned around looking all over the loft but didn't see her though he still heard her crying, and the moisture was still falling on his face.

"You need to go to her Dad," Alexis said, standing by his side.

He turned to Alexis and asked, "Where is she? Alexis, please, where is she?"

He noticed that the loft seemed to slowly dissolve behind Alexis as she said, "She's right in front of you Dad. She's crying now, Dad…you don't want her to cry, do you?"

"Alexis, what's happening?" he asked as more and more drops hit his face.

"She's crying, Dad."

"Why is she crying Alexis?"

"Rick. Rick. Oh please stay with me." Her voice sounded so close he turned around but saw nothing; everything was fading away all around him. "Kate? Kate! Where are you?" he cried.

Alexis' voice sounded so far away he could barely hear it. "Open your eyes Dad. Please, for me, Kate and Grams…please open your eyes." With those last words, her voice faded away and he saw nothing but grey all around him. "Kate?"

"Rick?" Her voice sounded weak. "Rick?"

"Kate? Where's Alexis?"

Her voice sounded hopeful as he heard Kate say, "He's calling for Alexis!"

"Kate?" he called. "Where are you Kate?"

"Oh Rick! I'm here. Right here. Always here."

"Where?"

"I'm right here Rick…please…oh please, open your eyes!"

And he did.

The pain was unbearable but her smile was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen.

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**AUTHORS NOTE: Well I have no idea where this came from. I turned on my PC and saw I had reviews for 'A kiss isn't just a kiss', and suddenly this idea came to me. I guess my muse decided to stick around for another day. It was so graphic in my mind, so detailed, that I had to remember to write that Lanie, Martha and Alexis were popping up in different places, seemingly out of thin air while trying to get Rick to open his eyes. This whole story just appeared in my mind's eye and I wrote it as it progressed, which only proves that those who say my mind must be a scary place to visit are probably correct.**


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